Another view: On NASCAR changing its rules after driver death

About a week ago, our community was waking up to the news that thousands of our neighbors and friends, enjoying an evening of dirt track racing, witnessed a horrific incident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park that took the life of a promising young driver.

NASCAR star Tony Stewart struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. as Ward attempted to confront Stewart by exiting his car and walking toward Stewart’s car, still traveling at a high rate of speed, after what Ward clearly thought was an intentional hit that spun his car into the wall.

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Stewart is known for showing up at dirt tracks to promote bigger NASCAR races and to mix it up with the local sprint-car drivers. Last year, at the Canandaigua track, Stewart pushed 19-year-old sprint-car driver Alysha Ruggles out of the way, causing a wreck that left Ruggles with a fractured back. Her family is now asking why Stewart wasn’t banned from racing after that incident. Ward’s family is likely asking the same question.

But NASCAR breeds the Tony Stewarts. Like other high-profile sports, it’s a business. Spectacles such as crashes and drivers mixing it up are part of the theater of the race. And when something happens, NASCAR the business gets the PR bump.

In 1979, Davey Allison and Cale Yarborough were involved in a legendary fight that Allison’s brother, Bobby, also jumped into after a final-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in which Yarborough blamed Allison for his losing control of his car. The bump cost Yarborough his lead and Richard Petty went on to win the race.

It was the first nationally televised NASCAR race, and that event led to a rise in the popularity of NASCAR and the sport has seemingly embraced that culture in the decades to follow. By doing so, it has gained popularity.

At what cost?

That NASCAR took a good first step on the rules around driver conduct following this incident is heartening. This past week, NASCAR announced it would institute a rule that prohibits drivers from exiting their cars under a caution flag. While smaller dirt tracks individually grapple with the rules around drivers exiting their cars under a yellow flag, NASCAR takes a step toward setting an example for the tracks that are home to the less-experienced local drivers who clearly are at risk when they mix it up with the pros, if the Ward fatality and Ruggles’ severe injury are any indication.

Rural communities have a long tradition of motorsports mania. The raucous, sometimes rowdy need for speed is a part of the country culture. Weekends at the Glen are a tradition, and Saturday nights at Canandaigua Motorsports Park are the stuff of local legends. It’s a community, and it is a vital part of who many young rural racers are. It holds some positive benefits for many young people.